If you grew up in the late 1990's or the early 2000's, chances are you are more than familiar with Cartoon Network and the series of shows that were produced back then, in what many call the height of the station's animation days. Shows like
Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, Powerpuff Girls, Ed, Edd, and Eddy, and many more are household names and instantly recognizable to anyone who was raised on television during that time period. Almost any young adult can look at the picture below and name off most of the characters.
As you can see, anyone who viewed the station during the Milennial period is familiar with a lot of these characters, even if they don't remember them at first. That is why it is wit much sadness that we report that Rumen Petkov, one of brilliant minds behind a lot of these shows is no longer with us. Petkov is very notable in his home country of Bulgaria, but in the United States he never became much of a household name. In Bulgaria, he is widely celebrated as he inspired many cartoonists and filmmakers and their work there. He even helmed the nation's first animated feature film,
Treasure Island, which made it's debut in 1982.
Petkov contributed heavily to a number of series on Cartoon Network, including but not limited to
Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Powerpuff Girls, Cow and Chicken, and
I Am Weasel. Working as a storyboard artist, a writer, and an animation director on these shows, there is no doubt that he had a significant influence on their tone, and our childhoods in general. You can see Petkov pictured below with a few of his beloved characters.
Petkov died at the age of 70 on June 11, 2018. While he lived a full life, it goes without saying that his contributions to the animation community will be missed, even if most people weren't familiar with his name.
Which of Rumen Petkov's Cartoon Network shows was your favorite?